How to encourage a christian

by admin
October 22, 2022
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How to encourage a mature believer?

Knowing the different performance of stages of believers gives you edge to know how to teach on the subject of encouragement.

This helps to push who and where that demands the strong or weak faith in the issue of growth when you recognise this, you work fast.

I taught the following important principle from my pulpit this week, “The greatest thing I can ever encourage you to do is to obey God.” ALSO READ: Help for Facing Life’s Storms: 7 Promises of God

I have come to believe this after years of studying Holy Scripture. Some might argue that this seems too simple; however, if you understand how God sanctifies His children, it makes perfect sense. Solomon expressed it quite simply at the end of the Book of Ecclesiastes.

1. THE FEAR OF THE LORD

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

-Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

If you’re reading this and you’re a member of my congregation you might be asking yourself, “Gee, how many times is he going to quote this passage from Solomon this year?” I would agree that the Spirit has had me use Solomon’s wisdom quite often lately. ALSO READ: How to achieve greatness

The point of the above quote is that it is more difficult to communicate succinctly, while not losing meaning, than it is to carry on and on.

A true measure of your mastery over a subject is your ability to effectively explain it to a five-year-old. Why do you think most elementary school teachers possess a master’s degree?

2. YOU SHOULD BE ELEMENTARY ENOUGH

Why do you think college professors teaching undergraduate classes possess a PhD? Why do you think Paul wrote, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure” ( 1 Timothy 5:22)?

The answer to all three of these questions is that sound teaching requires mastery over a subject.

Now, back to the original point, “The greatest thing I can ever encourage you to do is to obey God.” While this may seem like an oversimplified thing to say, it has taken years to fully grasp.

I didn’t teach this principle ten years ago. I understood the value of obedience, of course, but not to the degree that I do today. The wiser I’ve become, the more I “see” Solomon’s summary point at the end of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Here’s why I am writing this blog to you…

3. OBEY GOD

Encouraging a person to obey God is simple to express. However, just because I can summarize my pastoral labor doesn’t mean the sheep acquire Biblical wisdom the first time they hear it.

Sanctification takes time. As a result, it’s a lot easier for me to effectively encourage a spiritually mature person in the faith than it is an immature one.

Why? Because the immature person is still plagued with fleshly remnants of the self-life. As a pastor, I don’t have a clear line-of-sight to my teaching objective with them.

So, the conversation ends up being longer and more delicate. There are primitive issues and fundamental doctrines immature believers still need to work out before I can effectively teach the “simple” stuff.

4. HIS COMMANDMENT IS THE LIGHT

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15) and “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10). Do you see the connection between love and obedience?

I encourage believers to obey God because I understand that this is the pathway to abiding in His love. While I’m often misunderstood, my spiritual gift is essential to the Lord’s sanctifying work in His sheep.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

-1 Thessalonians 5:11

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

-Ephesians 4:29

5. FAITH IS THE WAY FORWARD

Hebrew 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hope for and the evident of things not seen.” when you are with this, you can draw almost everything from it.

This is why it is invariably possible to encourage mature believers because of the word of GOD first in them. believing in God is almost impossible without some tangible teaching about Christ JESUS.

When you don’t see this as a place to encourage yourself in the word or the hearing of the word, possibility to grow strong in the faith comes haphazardly to you.

For you to sustain this, you have to know that God is the ultimate in everything you intend to venture, this will arrest the mind for excellent.

6. MATURE BELIEVERS BELIEVE

It is very easier to retrain mature believers quick than milk believer because of the substance of faith they have already.

This will always turn them to another level of action to confront any situations around for good. As a milk believer in Christ or young believers, the word of God is almost not tested to believer Christ died for our sins, therefore, milk believe take this for granted.

No matter what the enemy would do, Christ is the saviour of our souls, so we cannot take this for granted. Put all your trust and see the signs and wonders that will come before time to help in dipping you up to see the reason Christ is for you.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

-Hebrews 10:24-25